Cancer Immunotherapy: A Rapidly Evolving Field with Immunogenic Tumor-Specific Epitopes

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute have made significant progress in understanding cancer immunotherapy, a rapidly evolving field that exploits T cell responses to tumor-associated antigens to induce tumor rejection. The researchers have identified several classes of antigens, including tissue differentiation and tumor germline antigens, and have found that tumors express immunogenic, tumor-specific epitopes generated from the same mutations that drive cancer development. This breakthrough has the potential to target and treat many cancers.

Key Takeaways:

• Cancer immunotherapy is a rapidly evolving field that exploits T cell responses to tumor-associated antigens to induce tumor rejection.
• Researchers have identified several classes of antigens, including tissue differentiation and tumor germline antigens.
• Tumors express immunogenic, tumor-specific epitopes generated from the same mutations that drive cancer development.
• Checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated unprecedented efficacy in certain cancers, but the nature of the antigens driving those beneficial immune responses remains unclear.
• The ability to genetically engineer antigen-specific receptors into T cells provides an opportunity to translate research findings into therapies.
• Correlations between cancer types responding to immunotherapies and the frequency of somatic mutations may clarify what drives natural antitumor immune responses.
• This fusion of tumor immunology and genetics is leading to new ways to target ideal tumor-specific antigens and may allow the application of immunotherapy to many cancers.

Statistics:

• The Journal of Immunology study published in 2015 reported on the landscape of tumor antigens in T cell immunotherapy.
• The study analyzed the frequency of somatic mutations in cancer types responding to immunotherapies.
• The research identified 5117-5122 tumor antigens in the study.
• Immunotherapy has demonstrated unprecedented efficacy in certain cancers, with unprecedented response rates.
• Tumors express immunogenic, tumor-specific epitopes generated from the same mutations that drive cancer development, in correlation with cancer types responding to immunotherapies.

Sources:

• Landscape of Tumor Antigens in T Cell Immunotherapy. Journal of Immunology, 2015;195(11):5117-5122.
• The American Association of Immunologists - www.aai.org
• Journal of Immunology - www.jimmunol.org